Wire-drawing machine



C. W. VAUGHN ET AL WIRE DRAWING MACHINE s Sheets-She et 1 Filed April 8, 1921 Dec. g a i C. W. VAUGHN ET AL WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed April 8, 1921' 5 Sheets-Sheet I Whoa (Mr/n Mlu g m 4M 55806 j w/750172.

a bbmnm y I i I 1 I i i l Dec. 9, 1924- 1,518,714 c. w. VAUGHN ET AL WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Fiied April 8, 1921 :5 SheetsSheet 5 abhor/7 amt? Patented Dec. 1924.

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CALVIN W. VAUGHN AND EUGENE RANSOM, OF CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE VAUGHN MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO, A

'IION OF OHIO.

WIRE-DRAWING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CALVIN W. VAUGHN and EUGENE Ransom, citizens of the United States, and residents of Cuyahoga Falls, county of Summit, State of Ohio, have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire-Drawing Machines, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which we have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present improvements, relating, as indicated, to wire drawing mechanism, have as their object the provision of means for drawing wire through a series of dies with automatic adjustments for increasing the speed of the wire in proportion to its reduction in area from one die to the next following. The mechanism is designed so as to automatically maintain this relative speed when once established as a natural consequence of the realization of such first-named object. A further object is to maintain a uniform cessive blocks.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in whiich the principle of the invention may be use In said annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a continuous wire drawing machine embodying our present improvements; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same with a. portion broken away to show one of the drawing blocks in section; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the machine taken on the plane indicated by the line 33, in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4 is an end view of the machine as viewed from the right in Figs. 1 and 2.

The particular machine illustrated in the foregoing drawings is of the so-called wet type, in which the drawing dies are submerged in water or other suitable liquid, but it will be understood that the principle of control of rate of speed of the wire through I the machine is equally applicable to the tension on the wire between sucso-called dry type of drawing mechanism. It will also be understood that while four dies only are shown in the illustrated inachine, the number of these may be more or less, such number depending on the nature of the metal being drawn, which limits the number of such dies, or, in other words, the amount of reduction, by becoming too brittle to admit of further reduction without breaking.

The illustrative machine shown in the drawings will be seen to comprise a bed 1, which is in the form of a flat shallow trough, in view of such machine being designed, as just stated, for wet operation. Such bed, in other words, will be filled with a body of water or other liquid to the proper height when the machine is in operation. This bed is supported on suitable end frames 2, 2 that are braced by longitudinally extending frame members 3 and 4, which also serve to support the various operative parts of the mechanism. Thus, the vertical shafts 5, on the upper ends of which drawing blocks or drums 6 are mounted, are supported in suitable step bearings 7 on said frame member 3 and in aligned bearings 8 on the bed 1. A series of dies 9, in which the die openings are of successively decreasing diameter, are suitably supported on the bed 1 in front of each such block 6, having regard to the direction of movement of the Wire 10 through the machine. It will be noted that the last block or drum 11 of the series is elevated above the level of the preceding blocks so as to lie above the level of the bed 1, thisblock being "designed to finally wind up the wire, although the latter may be carried on to a spooling device (not shown), separate and apart from the machine. Where the wire is finally wound up on. said block 11 the latter may be provided, as shown in Fig. 4', with an extension 12.

Just as the several blocks are thus mounted in similar fashion, so the driving mechanism for said blocks, respectively, is of substantially identical form, and the description thereof may accordingly be consolidated.

There is provided, in other words, adjacent each shaft 5, and parallel therewith, a vertical shaft 15 suitably journaled in the frame of the machine, such shaft having a pinion 16 near its upper end that meshes CORPORA- with a gear 17 on such shaft 5. Suitably journaled in the frame is a series of transverse shafts 1.8 aligned with therespective shafts and connected to frictionally drive the same through the medium of a friction wheel 19 on each such shaft 18 that contacts .with the under face of a friction disk 20 fixed on the corresponding shaft 15. The several shafts 18 are interconnected by means of pulleys 21 and belt-s 22 so as to be severally driven at approximately the speed required, power being received from a suit able source through a pulley 23 on the last shaft 18 of the series. v

The friction wheel 19 on this last'shaft 18 is fixedly mounted thereon so that the terminal block 11 will be driven at a predetermined speed, and by virtue of pulleys 21 and belts 22, that serve to interconnect the several shafts 18, all of such shafts will be similarly driven at a predetermined speed. However, in the case of all said shafts, except the terminal one just referred to, the friction wheel 19, instead of being fixed on the shaft, is keyed thereon so as to be slidably movable longitudinally on the same, its position being automatically controlled, as will now be described. Obviously by thus shifting the positions of these slidably mounted friction wheels, so as to contact with the corresponding friction. disks 20 at a greater or less radial distance from the centers thereof, the several shafts 5 in advance of the terminal one that carries block 11 may be caused to rotate at various speeds so as to draw the Wire through the corresponding die 9 at the proper rate.

The' position of such slidable friction wheels 19 is controlled by a flange 25 (see Fig. 3) on its outer end that runs in a yoke 26 operated by a shifting arm 27 that forms one end of a counterweighted bell crank lever 28. To the outer or free end of said lever 28 is attached a cord or line 29 that passes over idlers 30 and 31 suitably mounted at the rear side of bed 1 to a slidable member 32 that rests on such bed so as to be moyable transversely with respect to the corresponding draw block-6. Slide, member 32 carries a grooved pulley 33 rotatively mounted about a vertical axis on its upper face, and the wire 10, in passing from one block 6 to the next, is looped around this pulley, as will be more fully explained in describing the operation of the machine. In order to bring such wire into proper alignment with the next succeeding die 9 there is also provided on the bed of the machine, adjacent each block 6, an idler pulley 34, as best shown in Fig. 1. 7

It will be understood that= the counterweight 35 on lever 28 is built up of sections, or otherwise adapted to be varied, so as to place the line 29 under such tension as may be required.

the roller 40, through the medium of a lever 42 fulcrumed in the frame of the machine, as best shown in Fig. 3, and connected to said housing through a post 43. A weight 44 is adjustable lengthwise of the free arm of said lever so that the pressure thus communicated to roller 40 may be varied as desired.

Having thus described the construction and operation of the several component parts of our improved wire-drawing machine, the operation of such machine, as a whole, may now be briefly set forth. The wire 10 enters the machine oven an idler 50 and under an idler 51, whereby it is brought into alignment with the first of the series of drawing dies 9. Thence it passes around the first block or drum 6, several times, around the corresponding tension pulley or sheave 33, around guide pulley or sheave 34, and thence through the next die 9. From the latter the wire passes in similar fashion around the second block or drum 6, tension sheave 33 and guide pulley 34, and so on through the machine until finally it is wound up on the end drum or block 11, or else carried on to a separatev spooling device, as previously explained.

This last block or drum 11 of the series, it will be seen, runs at a constant speed, inasmuch as the friction wheel 19 that drives it is fixed on its shaft 18. Assume, however, that the next preceding drum 6 is running too fast so as to furnish the wire too fast to said terminal drum, with the result that the section of the wire between the two drums is lengthened, the corresponding tension device, consisting of counterweighted lever 28, that is connected by means. of line 29 with the slidable member 32, will drop sufficiently to take up any such slack in the wire. The effect of such movement of the lever will at the same time be to carry the friction wheel 19, which is slidably mounted on the corresponding shaft 18 nearer the periphery of the friction disk 20, through which the drum 6 in question is driven. The rate of rotation of such drum is correspondingly decreased, and further undue lengthening of the section of wire between said drum and the terminal drum is prevented. Conversely, if such drum 6 is running too slowly so that the loop of wire passing around the tension device between said drum and the terminal drum or block is shortened, the corresponding friction wheel 19 is automatically moved nearer the center of its friction disk 20. thereby driving it faster until a normal speed of draw is again provided. The rate of rotation of all the other drums of the series are of course adjusted and maintained normal in exactly the same Way, and as a result a smooth delicate operation is obtained without any shock or jar, the action being furthermore entirely automatic. The tension on the wire from drum to wire block, once established by weights cannot vary, and it is the speed of the Wire, and not its tension, that constitutes the source of control. Furthermore, the pressure between the friction wheels and disks is maintained at all times constant for any particular adjustment of the machine by the setting of the weights 4% on levers 42, as will be readily understood.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and I distinctly claim as our invention 1. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with a plurality of dies and drums, of driving means for the latter, said means including a friction disk geared to drive a drum, a friction wheel driven at a predetermined speed movable in and out across the face of said disk, and means adapted to maintain a uniform tension on the wire between successive dies, said means being operatively connected with said Wheel thus to position the same relatively to said disk.

2. In mechanism of the character described, the combination' with a series of dies and corresponding drawing drums therefor, of means adapted to rotate the terminal drum of the series at a predetermined rate, a friction disk geared to drive each of the other drums, a friction wheel driven at a predetermined speed movable in and out across the face of said disk, and means adapted to maintain a uniform tension on the wire between successive dies, said means being operatively connected with said wheel to position the same relatively to said 3. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with a series of dies and corresponding drawing drums therefor, of means adapted to rotate the terminal drum of the series at a predetermined rate, a friction disk geared to drive each of the other drums, a friction wheel driven at a predetermined speed movable radially in and out across the face of said disk, a counterweighted lever connected to position said wheel, and a movable sheave connected with said lever, the wire between the corresponding pair of dies passing around said sheave.

4. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with a series of dies and corresponding drawing drums therefor, of means adapted to rotate the terminal drum of the series at a predetermined rate, a friction disk geared to drive each of the other drums, a friction wheel driven at a predetermined speed movable radially in and out across the face of said disk, means adapted to adjust the pressure of said wheel on said disk, a counterweighted lever connected to position said wheel, and a movable sheave connected with said lever, the wire between the corre 0nding pair of dies passing around said s eave.

Signed by us, this 5th day of April, 1921.

CALVIN w. VAUGHN. EUGENE RANSOM. 

